1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electric knives and, more particularly, to a cordless electric knife having interchangeability of the various blades.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent history, one improvement on conventional knife designs, the electric knife, has revolutionized the field by providing a knife having a reciprocating blade driven by an electric motor. Greatly reducing the amount of work required of the user, the electric knife turns monumental tasks such as turkey carving into a simple chore. Typically requiring the availability of an electric outlet, the use of these devices has been limited, however, to kitchens and other in-home applications.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related.
The following patents describe the design and function of a handle for an electric knife: U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,006 issued in the name of McCullough; U.S. Pat. No. D 298,601 issued in the name of Tsuji; and, U.S Pat. No. D 286,491 issued in the name of Levin.
The following patents disclose various ornamental designs of cordless electric knife handles: U.S Pat. No. D 312,192 issued in the name of Barrault; U.S Pat. No. D 306,813 issued in the name of Naft et al.; and U.S Pat. No. D 286,969 issued in the name of McCloskey.
U.S Pat. No. 5,230,154 issued in the name of Decker et al. describes a modular power-driven rotary knife able to accommodate different tasks.
U.S Pat. No. 4,891,884 issued in the name of Torbet discloses a cordless hand-held automatic bladed kitchen appliance.
U.S Pat. No. D 207,767 issued in the name of Bremshay et al. describes an ornamental design for a power-operated carving knife.
While some features of providing an electric knife having a reciprocating blade that is driven by a rechargeable battery driven power supply adjustable may be incorporated into this invention as well as in other related references, other elements in combination are different enough as to make the combination distinguished over these related references.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to indicate a device of the type disclosed above which avoids the disadvantages inherent in the state of the art. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electric knife having interchangeability of the various blades, in combination with the in-handle storage feature to provide safety as well as convenience.
Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, an electric knife having a reciprocating blade that is driven by a rechargeable battery driven power supply. This lightweight, portable design, opens the doors to a variety of uses that are otherwise impossible with conventional cord powered models. Especially handy for fishermen and other outdoor users, the knife includes a variety of use specific blades such as filleting blades, utility blades and carving blades that allow the user to perform a multitude of tasks with ease and precision.